Ever wondered what is Messi doing eating KFC on TV? Or why Nancy Ajram appears wearing Damas jewelry? Brand ambassadors can help your business, too.
A brand ambassador is a known personality employed by an organization to promote its products and services. The term has evolved further, and is often referred to as celebrity branding these days.
In Bahrain, and with the massive growth of social media, I have noticed some organizations getting into the game, engaging with people passionate about the products related to their industry. A good example can be found in telecom companies utilizing brand ambassadors as a marketing channel. I see this as a good strategy; however, marketing managers should be careful about who they choose, and the messages they want their ambassadors to deliver. Here are a few tips to help YOU choose the right ambassador:
Start internally, within your organization. If your employees can’t talk positively about your services, you have a big challenge, my friend. Large organizations usually choose a few employees as ambassadors (or indirect spokespersons) of the organization.
Make sure the person you choose is well-known to your target audience and passionate about the services offered by your industry. You don’t want a bald man, i.e., Hasan Zainal, to promote a shampoo brand!
Educate your brand ambassadors, and ask them to deliver the right message to your audience. For instance, if your message includes differentiating your service from that of competitors, you should develop specific differentiation messages to be passed on by your ambassador. I have seen some really cheesy messages on social media from people trying to promote telecom services, and guess what? They are not known to be tech-savvy, and the messages were obviously poorly conceptualized.
Pick your ambassador before your competitor does, and never employ someone already engaged by a competitor. This can be extremely bad for both of you.
Pick an ambassador with an opinion that counts. At the end of the day, your messages must be able to reach your audience through your ambassador, successfully getting people on board to buy your products and/or services.
Ensure your ambassador is genuine. His or her messages and actions should be real, sincere, and consistent. Your ambassador must truly believe in your organization and its products, and should not be there just to make money.
Organizations should keep their brand ambassadors updated about all new products, offers, and promotions, and keep a consistent flow of messages going out through a broad range of communication channels. Social media stands out as one of the most important means of accomplishing this.
A tip to new and potential Bahraini brand ambassadors: if you are not being paid, ask to be enrolled in the organization’s payroll!
